International journal of zoonoses最新文献

A survey was carried out on the incidence of anaplasmosis in small ruminants at Bodija abattoir, Ibadan. 100 sheep and 200 goats were examined using and comparing two methods-the Giemsa stained blood smear and serodiagnosis by Latex Agglutination Technique. The sheep and goats examined were among those brought from various parts of northern states and some neighbouring countries like Chad, Benin, Niger and Burkina Faso. 27% of the sheep and 17.5% of goats were positive for Anaplasma bodies with blood smear method while 54% of sheep and 61% of goats were sero positive with latex agglutination test (LAT). There seems to be a high incidence of anaplasmosis among sheep and goats probably due to the abundance of its arthropod vectors. The serodiagnostic method showed a high degree of specificity and sensitivity and is useful in field diagnosis.

Soil samples taken from playgrounds in the eleven Nursery schools in Nsukka were examined for the prevalence of Toxocara canis ova. T. canis ova were identified from 6 out of the 11 schools samples, a prevalence of 54.5%. The public health risk of this finding to the children in these schools with regards to visceral larva migrans in highlighted and recommendations made for prevention and control.

A total of 690 adult cockroaches (Periplaneta americana (L.), the American cockroach, and Blatta orientalis (L.), the oriental cockroach) were captured alive within domestic kitchens and near poultry houses in Vom. Using selective media, their external surfaces and internal (gut) contents, after adequate decontamination of the external surfaces, were culturally examined for the presence of campylobacters. 4 isolates of Campylobacter subsp jejuni were made (0.5%); 3 from the gut contents and 1 from the external surface. Nocardia asteroides was isolated from the gut contents of a batch of ten cockroaches. The low isolation rate notwithstanding, our results suggest that cockroaches may be a potential vector of campylobacters from other sources to human food. The somewhat fortuitous isolation of Nocardia asteroides and its significance are discussed.

Experimental transmission of Trichomonas vaginalis into laboratory was carried out. The protein and glucose levels of infected vaginal exudates were also investigated. Subcutaneous lesions were produced in the mice with influx of neutrophils and macrophages and sloughing of epidermal parts. Rats, seem to be refractory to this infection. Compared with normal persons, the protein and glucose levels were higher and richer in exudates of patients with T. vaginalis infection.

For the past ten years Cysticercus bovis (measles) infestation has proved to be on the increase in most parts of Botswana; this has been demonstrated by an incidence of 12-15% which represents a loss of up to five million pula (P1.00 = US $0.68) in detained and/or condemned carcasses per year. The losses caused by this disease will increase tremendously as the major markets for Botswana beef will soon stop accepting beef that has been frozen due to he disease. In the past fifteen years it is believed that the incidence was only at 2.0%. Table 1 shows the increase in incidence in different parts of the country according to veterinary interzonal areas, and figure 2 shows the increase patterns of the condition throughout the ten years of study. It appears there is a strong relationship between the disease and climate, the increase in incidence seem to be prominent during the drought. This could be so especially due to a very high cattle-human contact because it is during this period that there is competition for water sources between livestock and human-beings in most parts of this country. Data from the export abattoir, the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) was analysed and this incidence increase is documented in the text of this paper. Visits to areas as categorised were undertaken to assess the management systems and to observe possible climatic factors which could be tied to this problem.

An investigation which lasted for a period of one calendar year was mounted to determine common ectoparasitic fauna of poultry in Nsukka, Nigeria. This survey covered twenty commercial poultry farms located in different areas of Nsukka. Birds were picked and thoroughly examined visually for the presence of ectoparasites after horizontal displacement of the feathers against their anatomical direction of alignment. Identification was mainly by morphological characteristics, host preference and anatomical location. The result of the survey indicates that 15 (75%) out of a total of 20 farms sampled were infested. Furthermore, the orders Mallophaga and Anoplura were commonly recovered. Common ectoparasites identified and their prevalence rates are as follows: Gonoides gigas (15.0%), Menacanthus stramineus (20.0%), Lipeurus caponis (25.0%), Ceratophyllus gallinae (25.0%) and Amblyomma sp. (15.0%). The veterinary importance of these ectoparasites are highlighted and possible control measures against ectoparasitic build up in poultry houses recommended.

A total of 153 human milk samples were subjected to Capillary Agglutination Test (CAT) for determination of C. burnetii antibodies using phase-I CAT antigen and 22 (14.37%) samples were found to be positive. Twenty two CAT positive milk samples were further processed for the isolation of C. burnetii. Of seven samples positive in first screening, only four revealed presence of C. burnetii by giving specific seroconversion in guineapigs. Similarly, 16 aborted placentas were processed for C. burnetii and three yielded morphological evidence for rickettsial bodies on first screening. However, only one of three samples positive in first screening showed presence of C. burnetii in aborted placentas by specific seroconversion in guineapigs. Isolation of C. burnetii from aborted human placenta is the first report from India.

Marine cetaceans (whales and dolphins), pinnipeds (seals and sea lions), reptiles (turtles and crocodyles), fish and shellfish, and fish-eating birds have been found to harbor salmonellae. In some of these animals, clinical salmonellosis has been demonstrated, but in many cases, the isolated salmonellae may have been an opportunistic pathogen with the illness or death of the host due to other causes. On the basis of the few reports in the literature, marine reptiles (turtles and crocodyles), fish, and shellfish appear to be passive carriers of salmonellae and demonstrate no clinical disease. All of these animals constitute a potential source of salmonellosis in man and his domestic animals. The role of wild and domestic terrestrial animals and fresh water aquatic animals in the transmission of salmonellosis to man has been recognized for many years. The situation with regard to the marine (saltwater) animals has never been adequately investigated or reported. In the past, much reliance has been placed on the ability of saline waters to inhibit or destroy human pathogens, including the salmonellae. Whether this effect is chemical, physical or biological has been studied since the late nineteenth century, and the investigators have found a number of factors affecting both the inhibition and stimulation of growth of salmonellae in saline waters. Salmonellae have been isolated from or found to survive in seawater with salinities as high as 3.5 percent. Marine animals in many parts of the world have been found harboring salmonellae.

The clinicopathological features and treatment of cases of dermatomycotic infections in horses are reported. Organisms isolated from these cases include Trichophyton mentagrophyte, T. equinum and Micosporum equinum. The Veterinary, medical and economic importance of the disease is discussed.

A serosurvey for evidence of rickettsial infections was conducted in the rural populations of several tropical rain forest areas in Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast. Seropositivity rates were surprisingly high in both countries, with more than 7% of the individuals in some districts having antibodies to spotted fever-group rickettsiae. No significant difference was found in the overall prevalence of diagnostic antibody titers to spotted fever-group rickettsiae in Sierra Leone (5.3%) and Ivory Coast (6.2%). However, there was a significant difference (p less than 0.001) in the prevalence of diagnostic antibody titers to typhus rickettsiae in the two countries. There were no marked geographic differences within either country in overall prevalence of rickettsial infections, but there were possible area differences in specific seropositivity rates to typhus- and spotted fever-group rickettsiae in Sierra Leone. In both countries, age and sex differences were important in determining seropositivity, but there was no indication of an age-sex interaction. In Sierra Leone, 59 of the 80 positive sera (73.8%) were from persons age 15 or above (p less than 0.001), and 50 of the 80 (62.5%) were from males (p = 0.05). In Ivory Coast, 33 of the 37 positive sera (89.2%) were from the greater than or equal to 15-age group, and 28 of the 37 (75.7%) were from males (p less than 0.001 for both age and sex). The identification of specific areas endemic for these rickettsial diseases should facilitate the diagnosis and treatment of patients with rickettsial illnesses in West Africa.